Product of the Week: StemBox

It is well-known that there is a major gap in our STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education pipeline and that nearly 40% of companies report difficulty in filling positions because of a lack of STEM skills*. With the ever increasing demand for STEM skills, it is imperative that we spark a love of STEM education in our students early-on. Fostering interest in STEM related subjects at an early age encourages students to explore these types of careers as they progress through school. The best and most effective way of getting our students interested in STEM is through real world, hands-on learning.

This week we are featuring StemBox, “a subscription box that makes real science accessible to young girls and empowers them as young scientists”. StemBox sends out boxes full of all the necessary equipment to conduct real-world science experiments. “Each box contains sophisticated labware and reagents for the science experiment, a protocol, fun science accessories, and a link to our corresponding videos. Our educational videos feature in-depth explanation from a real female role model working in that box’s field.” On the StemBox Kickstarter page you can view their “Strawberry DNA Extraction Box” and the “Owl Pellet Dissection Box”, both of these boxes encourage young girls to get out and explore the world around them. We also see that there is a future engineering kit in the works!

It has been proven that students learn more and retain information when they are able to participate in activities. Having these StemBoxes tailor-made for age level and interests is a fantastic way to make subjects come alive for students.